My thoughts exactly, Porshe. I have not yet purchased a Carada screen, but I will be doing so before the year is over and I've already priced it. With shipping, it'll cost $1,050 for the 134" BW Criterion 1.78:1 screen. The masking system for the screen of my size is very nearly $3,000. Three times the price of the screen itself!

While I think it's an ingenious invention and I would kill to have it... I'm not about to pay 3x the price of the screen itself for a tiny bit of black velvet to cover a portion of the screen to hide the black bars. Leave the black bars there for free, I say! As much as I would love this invention for my future screen from Carada, I wouldn't even pay $1,000 for it (which is what the screen itself costs). I would however be willing to pay half of what the screen costs, or $500.

I think they need to re-evaluate their prices on these masking systems.

In the world of masking systems, the price they give as example is reasonable. Compare their (masking) pricing to Dalite, SMX or Stewart....they are the bargin leader in comparison...similar to the prices of their screens vs the others.

In the world of masking systems, the price they give as example is reasonable. Compare their (masking) pricing to Dalite, SMX or Stewart....they are the bargin leader in comparison...similar to the prices of their screens vs the others.

Ron

You are so right Ron.Carada's masking is quite cheap compared to the others by far.Their is alot to a masking system with all the motors and parts and remote control.Maybe they can design a screen with the masking together and get the price down.But look at a stewart screen with masking $15k,So $3.5K is not bad really.Myself I use a $25 piece of black velet and mask the top part of my 110inBW carada and move my image down to the bottom.So their are no black bars.I know I am cheap.But it does look good and I saved $2.5k

It's a nice looking setup and I like the price compared to others. I'd like to see them do a horizontal masking system for CIH at the same price point. While nice, paying that much for a masking system that just covers the black bars and ends up with an image smaller than the previews/menu seems sort of anti-climactic.

Hey guys, thanks for all the compliments! We put an enormous amount of time and energy into the design of the Masquerade (not to mention money), and I'm glad it shows. We figured there might be some sticker shock, but only for customers who haven't shopped for masking systems before. Granted the Masquerade isn't cheap by any measure, but as others have pointed out, it is extremely competitive when compared to other masking systems on the market. When another company recently announced their masking system, naturally I wondered what kind of competition they would prove to be. Needless to say, any concerns I had fell by the wayside when I saw that their systems would START at 9 GRAND! And even that is chump change when compared to Stewart's and Screen Research's very nice top-of-the-line systems which are in the range of $25,000-$30,000!

But of course. Feel free to send me a Masquerade system in lieu of my usual fees.

Seriously, I find your system very exciting. I'm so in to the visual benefits of masking I bet I'm the only guy you can find who has been masking his plasma screen for 2:35:1 content for years. I knew that when I moved up to front projection there was no question I'd go for a masking system of some kind. Then of course there is the heart-stopping prices of the typical masking systems from you-know-who. Sort of reminds me a little of how I feel when I go to buy pop-corn and a drink at the movies:

Cashier: "That will be $27.00 sir."

Me: "You know, next time you ask for that kind of money, would you mind holding a gun on me? It would just make the transaction feel a little more rational on my end, thanks."

I am considering some more do-it-yourself versions, but yours is a very slick solution for avoiding truly insane prices while getting a professional aesthetic. As it happens, Carada is in my top 2 screen manufacturers I'm likely choosing between for my new HT, so to see Carada introduce a masking system is great.

My only issue is I've been looking at a Constant Image Height set-up, so masking from the sides is also an issue. Any plans to introduce CIH-style side masking? Also, can your current masking system work on non-Carada screens?

You're right Rich, I haven't heard of too many folks masking their plasma. But hey, you obviously understand the benefits of masking!

Yes the Masquerade will work with most fixed frame screens on the market including Stewart's Luxus and Luxus Deluxe Screenwall; Da-Lite's Permwall, DaSnap, and Cinema Contour; Draper's Cineperm and Clarion (but definitely NOT the Onyx); and Vutec's Silverstar, Vu-Easy, and Vision XWF. Basically the screen's frame members need to be no wider than 3.25" and protrude from the wall no more than 2".

We don't have a CIH system in the works right now, but we're getting a LOT of questions about that, so there's a good chance we'll focus on that at some point in the future (couldn't begin to say when it might happen though).

You're right Rich, I haven't heard of too many folks masking their plasma. But hey, you obviously understand the benefits of masking!

Yes the Masquerade will work with most fixed frame screens on the market including Stewart's Luxus and Luxus Deluxe Screenwall; Da-Lite's Permwall, DaSnap, and Cinema Contour; Draper's Cineperm and Clarion (but definitely NOT the Onyx); and Vutec's Silverstar, Vu-Easy, and Vision XWF. Basically the screen's frame members need to be no wider than 3.25" and protrude from the wall no more than 2".

We don't have a CIH system in the works right now, but we're getting a LOT of questions about that, so there's a good chance we'll focus on that at some point in the future (couldn't begin to say when it might happen though).

David Giles
Carada, Inc.

Don't forget that Carda curve screen David.Heck I come down and bend the metal for you. BOB

Don't forget that Carda curve screen David.Heck I come down and bend the metal for you. BOB

Don't worry Bob, we won't forget. Just gotta decide whether we work on the curved screen or the 2.35:1 masking system first. So much to do....

By the way, for any AVS members in the central Florida area, we've got two Masquerades set up for tomorrow's Audioholics' "State of the CE Union" Event in Clearwater. Stop by if you're in the area! And if you let Rex Bittle or myself know you stopped by to see the Masquerade and give us your mailing address, we'll send you a Carada hat.

Looks like it may be awhile before I get that little vacation I was hoping for!

Seriously though, we'll work on all these other goodies in the future. But I have to be upfront and warn you guys not to hold your breath. I'm an obsessive perfectionist, which is a GOOD thing with respect to the quality of the final product that is going to bear the name Carada, but is a BAD thing when it comes to product development lead times. My nature won't let me "whip out" a quick and dirty design just to get something on the market. For example we started the design process on the Masquerade in early spring of 2006 and we're just now bringing it to market. Having said that we've learned a lot, and have significantly upgraded our capabilities as a company, in both the manufacturing and in the product development disciplines. So maybe we can bring some of these other cool products you guys want to market a LITTLE faster this time around. And Bob, if you have seriously have experience with accurately bending LONG aluminum extrusions on a shallow radius, please feel free to send me a PM. Maybe we can do a tradeout for some consulting work. We have an awesome Italian-made computer-controlled dual head miter saw that allows us to cut the Masquerade extrusions with incredible precision, but what we DON'T have is the tube bending equipment that we'll need to do curved screens (with or without masking). And before we invest in that kind of equipment I'd love to talk to someone with experience in that field (other than the sales rep trying to sell us the equipment). Any other AVS members that might have some relevant experience that they would like to share, please don't hesitate to contact me.

Anyway, speaking of what we currently have to offer, the constant-width Masquerade was a BIG hit at the Audioholics show in Clearwater Florida yesterday. We had two Masquerades in action that wowed the crowd all day long. The system is smooth and pretty darn quiet for a motorized masking system, and the frame is unobtrusive enough that most people just thought it was a regular projection screen up there. It was funny how many people thought the projector was just doing something neat when we punched a button on the remote (without telling the audience) and the masks deployed. All they knew is that the image suddenly jumped off the screen when the black bars were eliminated. When we turned on the lights and explained what was really happening, the common word was simply COOL!! And there were several AVS members that got a good look at the systems, so hopefully they'll chime in here with their impressions.

Thanks again for the comments guys AND for letting us know what you want Carada to work on next. Now, back to the grindstone.